THE number of British workers facing health risks through stress caused by a "cocktail" of long hours and pressure to reach targets has soared to 2.5 million, a report published today says.

One in four workers complained that pressure had reached harmful levels, often causing ulcers, heart attacks or strokes. Two out of five said their boss was unreasonable, often expecting them to work when they were ill, and a third were set "unrealistic" targets, according to the survey, by Esselte.